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You kind of had to expect this after the playoffs last season. Still, we all know how coaches like to talk in training camp — “It’s an open competition, anybody can win the job.” And all that… manure. That’s what Erik Spoelstra’s been selling about the Heat’s lineups, but I think we can take a…

Dahntay Jones is not the first person to say this. Heck, Mark Cuban said it. But the Mavericks swingman is the latest to say new cross-state rival Jeremy Lin would not have had the same hype last season if he hadn’t been playing in New York City. That the fire of “Linsanity” spread because the…

I can think of 10 million reasons Jose Calderon will not be a Laker. That rumor — Calderon to the Lakers — got going on twitter over the weekend. Because on twitter nobody has to think about reality or finances, plus this didn’t even have a source. Yet somehow it picked up steam, so let’s…

I hammered Andre Drummond‘s draft prospects. Physically he was incredibly gifted. But we’ve seen so many talented athletic big men flame out because of the mental game, and that part was of massive concern. Not just from media, but scouts, draft experts, the works. He was worth the risk for the right team. But none…

Like seemingly all things Michael Jordan, we tend to look back on his marketing and endorsement career through rose-colored glasses. Or, maybe dollar sign glasses. He is considered the gold standard. We kind of ignore the fact that in the 1990s Jordan put his name on just about anything in a very Krusty the Clown…

Metta World Peace went into the stands again, but this time he actually tried to turn on the charm. And it kind of worked. MWP went blocked a transition shot by Gordon Hayward — in a battle of strength Hayward is severely outmatched here — and the ball went bounding into the stands, to be…

When the Timberwolves decided not to give Kevin Love, All-Star, dominant rebounder, scorer, and best player on the team the max extension of five years, smart basketball fans largely had the same reaction: “Why in God’s name would you not give Kevin Love the five-year max?” The answer lies somewhere in the bowels of the…

Kobe Bryant has been accused of being a bad teammate for his behavior by Smush Parker, who Bryant said was a bad teammate because he sucked. In response, Bryant has posted on FaceBook a brief message about leadership. It is one of the most Bryant things you’ll read, even if his publicist team likely wrote…

T-Mac has left the league he excited, dominated, disappointed, and called home for over a decade. He’s headed to China, and in that decision comes a departure from the NBA which he has been a part of the tapestry of his entire career. McGrady took to FaceBook recently to thank some people and some fans.…

From the New York Daily News: Josh Smith has told the Hawks that he isnt going to sign an extension during the season. Hed rather wait to become a free agent, when he can get a five-year deal. An extension would limit him to a three-year deal, according to the new CBA rules. New GM…

The Lakers didn’t want Ramon Sessions back as a free agent, at least not for what he was asking. That’s a rough thing to deal with, but they wanted to land a difference maker, they were gearing up for one more run with Kobe and Pau, and Sessions had a rough playoffs. They got Steve…

From the Boston Herald: “I have no comment on that question. No comment,” Bass responded when asked if he cared whether he started. “We have to keep getting better as a team. I think (coach Doc Rivers) will make the best decision for the team.” Rivers raised eyebrows earlier in the week when he speculated…

When the Lakers landed Steve Nash, even before Dwight Howard, there was exultation across Lakers Land. The team would no longer need to run everything through Kobe Bryant, wouldn’t struggle getting the ball to the bigs, would have someone to quarterback, coordinate, and execute the offense. Yes, it was going to be a great new…

From Canis Hoopus.com: At some point, I think this team is just going to have to face the facts: Williams is a guy who could potentially be a pretty good power forward, on a team that has absolutely no minutes available at power forward. It’s not like the Wolves are oblivious to this sort of…

1. The disconnect isn’t necessarily obvious. If you watch preseason, on the surface, there’s not much outside of the number of minutes for starters between regular season and this. I mean, the game is fundamentally the same. But the speed and intensity differential is startling, and you’ll see the shift for small moments with the…

Chris Paul is back in action. After offseason thumb surgery for an injury sustained in Team USA practice, Paul was only cleared for basketball activity in the last week. But late Friday night, the Clippers announced that Paul’s going to get run in the Clippers’ preseason game Sunday: Paul, who was medically cleared for full…

One of the truly great little men ever to play in the NBA. He is the only player ever to lead the NBA in points and assists in the same season, back when he had to carry the Kings offense. He was a six-time All-Star who did win a ring as a member of the…

Here is our regular look around the NBA — links to stories worth reading and notes to check out (stuff that did not get its own post here at PBT) — done in bullet point form. Because bloggers love bullet points. • Statistically speaking, there is somebody playing in the NBA right now who is…

The Suns are lottery bound. Michael Beasley might make a good fantasy player but unless he has an efficiency epiphany he’s not a guy you want taking the bulk of your shots. Which is what is going to happen. I like Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic, but they are not building block guys. Everyone thinks…

If Romeo Void taught us one thing, it’s to never say never. But bringing Derek Fisher back to the Lakers is something that should be right next to never. Mostly because he’s really not good at basketball anymore. Not in the NBA sense. And the Lakers want to win a title. But the Lakers may…